It was fifteen years ago today when Alabama was the hardest-hit state in the historic "Super Outbreak.” NASA’s Earthdata website says the state endured sixty two tornadoes in eighteen hours, resulting in over two hundred and fifty deaths, and fifteen hundred injuries, and one and half billion dollar in damage. Violent EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes hit Alabama, including a massive long-track storm that struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The storms destroyed communities, destroyed homes, and caused extensive infrastructure failure across the state.
The Alabama Public Radio news team provided dawn to dusk coverage of basic information for our listeners, including where to find water, food, medications, etc. That reporting came up during a recent taping of the “Coffee and History” podcast by Alabama Heritage Magazine. I was invited to appear as a guest, and the host Caroline Gazzara-McKenzie asked me about the challenges in covering the tornadoes
“Well,” I responded. “The tornadoes hit my neighborhood, I just told my wife your pick a house that you like, and she did. One week later, the tornadoes hit, and one third of our house had to be taken down to the dirt. So yeah, I have to report on it. But also, you know, we're in the thick of it too. So, while my staff is reporting on this, I'm kind of like a mother hen, kind of watching them to make sure, okay, ‘are you eating? Are you sleeping?’ Our newest Morning Edition host was so new that all of the street signs, were gone, so he had a hard time exactly knowing how to find his way to the station.”
“I remember APR was kind of all we had for a long it felt like that's all we had for a long time,” offered Coffee and History Podcast co-host Susan Reynolds. “During that, that chaotic time, you know, we had no access to television at my house because of power without for days and days and days. We had, you know, solar powered radio that we listened to. It was really APR. Got us through.”
You can click below for APR’s coverage that went onto to win the RTDNA Edward R, Murrow award for Overall Excellence and back-to-back national Sigma Delta Chi Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.
As Alabama observes this anniversary, Oklahoma is cleaning up for its own tornado disaster. A tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead in northern Texas and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday. At least one person was killed and numerous homes were damaged Saturday night in the town of Runaway Bay, said Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, who serves as the county’s chief executive. Emergency responders worked to clear debris to reach damaged homes and provide medical care where needed, Clark said.
“Access has been difficult due to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews have continued pushing forward to reach those in need,” Clark said.
The storm also hit Springtown, where Parker County Assistant Fire Chief David Pruitt said in an email that a second person died south of the city limits. There was “significant damage” in the area, Pruitt said.
“One of the most significant ongoing challenges is the widespread power outage affecting many residents,” he wrote.
National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph touched down in the Runaway Bay area. An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said. The slow-moving supercell traveled through the area around 10 p.m. Saturday, said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez with the Fort Worth weather service office.
It moved southeast from around Wichita Falls, near the Oklahoma border, passing just west of Fort Worth. Runaway Bay is about 45 miles northwest of Fort Worth on Lake Bridgeport. Springtown is about 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Weather service radar picked up a “potentially large and extremely dangerous” tornado near Azle at 10:14 p.m. Saturday. That's about another 10 miles southeast of Springtown.
